The Blue Ridge Parkway at US 276

One of the best vantage points on the Parkway for viewing Looking Glass Rock. The overlook curves through about a 240-degree vista above Pounding Mill Branch — a creek named for the hammer-type corn grinding mills that once operated along it.

Local naturalists call this the best spot on the Parkway for watching monarch butterfly migration. In early fall the monarchs drift south through here on their way to Mexico, and you can sometimes see dozens at a time working the milkweed.

One of the most dramatic and iconic roadside views on the entire Parkway. From the overlook you gaze east at the massive granite dome of Looking Glass Rock — one of the largest exposed plutons in the Southeast, rising to 3,969 feet. The name comes from the sheer cliff face, which reflects sunlight brilliantly when wet or iced over, shining like a mirror.

Best photographed in late afternoon, when the western sun lights the cliff straight on.

Directly across the Parkway from the parking area (no formal sign), the Mountains-to-Sea Trail leads 0.9 miles to Skinny Dip Falls — a cascading waterfall tumbling into a deep, emerald-green swimming hole. The trail gains only 187 feet and is accessible for most hikers. The pool is one of the most beloved summer destinations in the region, and the name is a long-standing local tradition. Check the current trail status before visiting; storm damage has closed it in past years.

Views into the East Fork of the Pigeon River — the mountain headwaters of one of the major river systems flowing north toward Waynesville. A quiet, often-empty stop with good long-range views. Worth a pull-off if you've got the time.

One of the most popular hiking destinations on the entire Parkway. Graveyard Fields packs accessible waterfalls, sweeping high-meadow views, and a uniquely haunting landscape into one easy loop. The name comes from a 1925 forest fire so hot it sterilized the soil; the bleached trunks and stumps left behind looked like grave markers poking up from the earth.

The valley sits above 5,000 feet — a flat, high-altitude basin carved by water and time. The full loop is 3.5 miles with 450 feet of gain, rated easy to moderate, and works for most families.

Lower Falls (Yellowstone Falls) is less than a mile from the trailhead: wide, multi-tiered cascades into a wide pool popular for summer wading, with wooden and stone steps down to a large viewing area. Upper Falls is about 1.7 miles in via a spur — narrower, taller, framed by boulders and dense vegetation, and much quieter. The loop also crosses open meadow and boardwalks over the Yellowstone Prong, and in mid-to-late August the wild blueberries ripen in abundance.

The spur road at MP 420.2 runs 0.7 miles to the trailhead for Black Balsam Knob (6,214 ft) and Sam Knob (6,045 ft) — two of the most spectacular open summits in the eastern United States. Treeless balds, 360-degree views, and direct access to the Art Loeb Trail and the Shining Rock Wilderness.

This is its own destination and gets its own full guide on the site.

A dramatic 5,720-foot summit with a near-vertical rock face and an extraordinary 360-degree view. The parking area on the south side of the road accesses a 0.8-mile round-trip trail that climbs steeply through rhododendron and spruce-fir forest to the rocky summit. The grade is strenuous, but the distance is short enough for most fit visitors.

From the top, on a clear day, you can see into four states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The view extends across the Great Balsams, the Nantahalas, and on exceptional days, the distant peaks of the Great Smokies.

Cherokee legend holds that the great spirit Judaculla held court — and meted out justice — inside the mountain's hollow rock. The English name is a translation of that legend.

A second access road connecting the Parkway to the regional highway network. Heading north on NC 215 leads 8.6 miles to the Sunburst Campground area, where Sunburst Falls drops through a beautiful stone bridge setting accessible right from the roadside.

The Middle Prong Wilderness — a less-visited wild area containing Buckeye Falls and miles of backcountry trails — is accessible from Parkway trailheads at Milepost 425.5 (Buckeye Gap) and Milepost 426.7 (Haywood Gap).

Just outside the strict 20-mile radius from the US-276 crossing, but worth including as a destination anchor. Cowee Mountain Overlook sits at 5,950 feet and is consistently ranked among the top ten overlooks on the entire 469-mile Parkway. Facing southeast, it offers a greater-than-180-degree unobstructed panorama of layered ridges and valleys, with most trees below the overlook's sightline.

An ideal picnic stop and photography location, especially in afternoon light and at golden hour.